The PPP had described the capital punishment awarded to its founding chairman in the Mahmood Raza Kasuri murder case as a judicial murder. — File Photo
**LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to get the case of “judicial murder” of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reopened and President Asif Ali Zardari will send a reference to the Supreme Court on the matter in a couple of days. **
“As the president enjoys powers under Article 186 of the Constitution to send a law question of public interest for consideration of the Supreme Court, the party has decided to utilise the powers for review of the Bhutto murder case,” Law Minister Babar Awan told reporters here on Sunday.
A special meeting of the federal cabinet was convened on Monday to approve the reference, he added.
Article 186 reads: “(1) If, at any time, the president considers that it is desirable to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law which he considers of public importance, he may refer the question to the Supreme Court for consideration. (2) The Supreme Court shall consider a question so referred and report its opinion on the question to the president.”
Although the Constitution does not set any timeframe for the apex court to decide the question, Mr Awan expressed the hope that the judiciary, which was independent and taking suo motu notices, would set a historic precedent by deciding the case in a record time like a Nawaz Sharif’s case.
The PPP had described the capital punishment awarded to its founding chairman in the Mahmood Raza Kasuri murder case as a judicial murder and vowed to get the verdict reversed through a review petition, but it did not materialise during its previous two terms in government — 1988-90 and 1993-96.
Mr Awan expressed the hope that Lahore High Court officials would not temper with the Bhutto murder case record and said that the PPP had been founded in Lahore and its founder was “judicially murdered” here by the then LHC judges.
He claimed that no other party, except the PPP, had ever been held accountable and invited all parliamentary parties to bring a unanimous law to the National Assembly for an across-the-board accountability to end victimisation in its name.
The minister said that PPP leaders Sharjeel Memon and Taj Haider would appear before the Supreme Court which had on Saturday issued contempt notices to them for their statements against a court verdict removing Justice (retd) Deedar Husain Shah as chairman of the National Accountability Commission.
Re: PPP plans to reopen case of Bhutto’s ‘judicial murder’
I hope they do it and not that they use to for making political Shor-Sharaba only.... one thing with the current ppp govt is, they plan and announce good things but they seldom follow it.... now at the verge of collapse they are going to put this case, later if their govt. looses in the parliament, they will blame establishment for creating alliance against them just to stop them from following this or any other case of symbolic nature...
Cabinet approves reopening of ZAB caseAgencies (30 minutes ago) Today
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani chairing the special cabinet meeting at PM Secretariat.-APP
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Monday approved the reopening of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s murder case by filing a judicial review reference in the Supreme Court.
In a press conference held after the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the cabinet discussed the issue in detail and unanimously approved to reopen the case.
“The cabinet gave unanimous approval for the reopening of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s murder case, however, the details would be given by Minister for Law in a couple of days,” she remarked.
Awan said that it is a full fledged legal procedure and we all must wait for its verdict as it is pre-mature to say anything at this stage.
Briefing media about the cabinet decisions, the minister said that the meeting also approved the devolution of five ministries to provinces which includes Ministry of Education, Culture, Special Education, Livestock and Dairy Development and Ministry of Tourism.
Awan informed that the cabinet took strong exception of desecration of Holy Quran and condemned it strongly.
She said that the cabinet also discussed the implementation of different development projects and urged the concerned ministries to evolve proper arrangements for their completion within the stipulated time.
Answering a question regarding drone attacks, the minister said that the meeting condemned the attacks on Pakistani soil and conveyed its reservations on the killing of innocent people.
Re: PPP plans to reopen case of Bhutto’s ‘judicial murder’
I know PPP jiyalas will support it, but I would pickup such cases when current situation in country is in control, when joblessness is negligible, when UN is not commenting "food prices too high in Pakistan" etc.
Re: PPP plans to reopen case of Bhutto’s ‘judicial murder’
I know PPP jiyalas will support it, but I would pickup such cases when current situation in country is in control, when joblessness is negligible, when UN is not commenting "food prices too high in Pakistan" etc.
This cou;d be an attempt of** Malkoo Nai to divert the attentionof the workers from the probe of assasination of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
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Re: PPP plans to reopen case of Bhutto’s ‘judicial murder’
At the times when PPP needs more and more support from opposition, starting a case which makes Zia ul haq looks bad is not going to go in their favor, honestly. PML N and PML Q would not be very happy.
